1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video display units that can stow and display a monitor.
2. Description of Related Art
To provide added comfort to the passengers in an airplane, the plane can be provided with television monitors that display movies and other programming. The monitors are usually stowed in a cavity in the ceiling of the passenger cabin. The monitors are typically attached to a hinge that allows the monitors to be rotated down into a viewing position. An actuator and a corresponding electric motor are attached to each monitor to rotate the same in and out of the compartment cavity. On occasion the cabin will lose electrical power, in which case it is desirable to retract the monitors into the stowed position. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that all monitors be concealed when the cabin loses power, to insure the passengers safety.
Because the monitors protrude from the cabin ceiling, there is a likelihood that a passenger will hit the monitor and possibly injure himself and damage the monitor. The probability of this occurring greatly increases if the monitor is located directly above the passenger seats. It would therefore be desirable to have a monitor that will absorb a collision between a passenger and the viewing device. It would also be desirable to have a monitor rotation assembly that would automatically retract the monitor when electrical power is lost in the passenger cabin.